In March, a St. Louis jury awarded the family of Plaintiff Jacqueline Fox $72 million after finding Johnson & Johnson legally responsible for her ovarian cancer and death. Johnson & Johnson was found guilty of negligence, failure to warn and conspiracy for covering up the deadly risk associated with using its Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder. Ms. Fox used both products for feminine hygiene and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013; she died in October 2015.
What is most disturbing about this case is Johnson & Johnson’s decades-long willful cover up of the risks associated with these products. During the trial, jurors were given access to internal company documents that clearly demonstrated the company was aware of the link between these talc products and ovarian cancer. And they were aware of this risk as early as 1979. In 1997, one of Johnson & Johnson’s medical consultants warned against hiding this information and noted there were numerous studies that clearly linked the talc to ovarian cancer. It should be noted that these documents were hidden from the FDA and other regulatory organizations.
Once the company became aware of the risk, all they had to do was place a warning label on the box. Instead, they remained silent and did nothing.
According to one of the trial experts, at least 45,000 women have died from ovarian cancer that could be attributed to use of talcum powder. The American Cancer Society notes that ovarian cancer accounts for nearly 3 percent of cancers among women — but it causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. It is difficult to detect — routine pap smears do not detect ovarian cancer and the early symptoms (back, abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, fatigue, difficulty eating, the need to urinate frequently or urgently) can be caused by a variety of other conditions or cancers. The American Cancer Society does acknowledge a small probable risk of using talcum powder for feminine hygiene.
While using talcum powder may only slightly increase your risk for ovarian cancer, remember this — it is a risk you can avoid. Discontinuing use of baby powder for feminine hygiene is prudent.
If you think you, or someone you know, may have developed ovarian cancer due to the use of talcum powders please contact us. The civil justice system can help protect consumers and judgments such as the one handed down in St. Louis help send a message to corporations — they are responsible for their products and they cannot hide the risks associated with those products.
